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Indonesian Peanut Sauté

Longtime readers of Ann Arbor Vegan Kitchen may remember a recipe for Thai Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce that I wrote about two years ago. It remains one of my most requested recipes, but today it’s getting a mini makeover.

Peanut Sauce 2.0 includes fresh basil and more lime juice, and interestingly, only one half of the peanut butter. This version is more delicate, not quite as salty, and maybe a little bit thinner. These updates, along with crunchy red cabbage and onions…well, it’s a winning combination.

This new sauce was inspired by a recipe from The China Study Cookbook, by LeAnne Campbell for Nutty Noodles with Vegetables.

Although her recipe called for vegetables that included red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and jalapeños, the first time I made it, I had none of those. I improvised with what I did have – red (purple) cabbage, along with the requisite garlic, onions, carrots, and broccoli.

This was either fate or a delicious happy accident, but it was outstanding exactly this way, with just the right flavor, crunch, and color. So good, in fact, that I made it again, the next day, too.

It reminds me of a no-added-oil version of the Indonesian Peanut Sauté served at one of the restaurants in Ann Arbor that we like to visit, so that’s what I’m calling it. Hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

Heat a large nonstick pan over high medium-heat. Add broth, water, onions and carrot. Sauté for 5 minutes, or until vegetables are slightly cooked. Add the garlic, cabbage, and broccoli, and continue to cook for a couple of minutes until the broccoli turns bright green, but is still tender-crisp. Stir in pasta and fresh basil. Set aside.